Mombasa Stars managed a 1-0 win over Luanda Villa in a National Super League (NSL) match at the Serani Sports Ground on Sunday.
The sole goal of the match for the Stars was scored by Emmanuel Nyamawi in the fifth minute of the match.
The much-needed win ensured they moved out of the relegation zone into 17th position with 12 points after a challenging start of the season.
Despite conceding early, Luanda Villa dominated the match in search of an equalizer, but the Stars’ defensive approach was hard to break.
In the fifth minute, Mombasa Stars scored their goal through a stunning long-range shot by Nyamawi, which found the top left corner of the net.
Six minutes later, Luanda Villa’s Clinton Odiwuor had a golden opportunity to equalize, but his shot was denied by Stars goalkeeper Iddy Rashid.
In the dying moment of the game, Timothy Ndayala received a cross from Nato Jarius and attempted a header, but Rashid once again came to the Stars’ rescue with a crucial save.
Mombasa Stars’ Coach, Mohammed Hussein ‘Madaga’ expressed his satisfaction with the result and his team’s performance.
“Right now, we have climbed the league standings after being in the relegation zone for a long time. This shows progress, and it would not stop here. We will work hard to climb further,” said Madaga.
Luanda Villa head coach Gilbert Selebwa, however, was disappointed with the performance of his team.
“Our mistake was allowing them to take an early lead. Breaking their defence was very challenging, but we will focus on our next game to secure a win,” said Selebwa.
By Abdulrahman Shariff
